Panashe Muzambe facts for kids
| Date of birth | 17 November 1995 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Place of birth | Harare, Zimbabwe | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.67 m (5 ft 5+1⁄2 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 80 kg (180 lb; 12 st 8 lb) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Panashe Muzambe was born on November 17, 1995. She is a professional rugby union player from Scotland. Panashe made history as the first black woman to play rugby for the Scottish national team.
Contents
Playing for Clubs
Panashe Muzambe started playing rugby while studying at Edinburgh Napier University. She then joined a club called Watsonians RFC. She played in the Premiership league with them.
In 2019, Panashe scored a try for Watsonians. This helped her team win against Hillhead Jordanhill in the final of the Tennent's Premiership. From 2015 to 2019, she played as a Back Row player. Later, she changed her position to Front Row.
Playing for Scotland
Starting Her International Journey
In January 2019, Panashe was invited to Spain with the Scotland Women's team. She joined them as an extra player. After being an extra player a few times, she earned a spot on the bench. This was in March 2019 for a match against England. The game was part of the 2019 Women's Six Nations Championship. She played for the last ten minutes at Twickenham Stadium.
Playing in South Africa
Panashe got her second chance to play for Scotland when the team traveled to South Africa. This was Scotland Women's first-ever tour. It was also their first time playing matches in the Southern Hemisphere. Panashe got to play in front of her family who lived nearby.
How She Was Spotted
A coach for the Scotland Women's team, Shade Munro, noticed Panashe's talent. He saw her play during a game between East and West teams in Scotland. After the match, he introduced himself to her. This led to her becoming a national player.
About Panashe's Life
Early Life and Moving to Scotland
Panashe Muzambe was born in Zimbabwe. She grew up in cities like Harare and Marondera. When she was 12 years old, she moved to Scotland. She went to St Augustine's High School, Edinburgh there. At school, she enjoyed playing basketball.
University and Rugby
Panashe then went to Edinburgh Napier University. She studied for a degree in sports science. It was at university that she started playing rugby. She joined an introductory session led by Sarah Quick. Sarah was a retired Scotland Women's player. She became Panashe's mentor.
Panashe's first rugby match was soon after. She played against Edinburgh University 2nds. In her final year at university, she was the captain of her team. She also started refereeing rugby games. This helped her learn more about the sport. She got her level one refereeing and coaching certificates.
After University
While playing for the university, she also joined Watsonians for the 2017/18 season. After getting her first degree, she continued her studies. She worked towards a master's degree in education.
Panashe is also part of the Sportscotland Young People's Sport Panel. This group has 17 young people. They help decide the future of sports in Scotland. In an interview in 2021, Panashe shared her goal. She wants more black women to play rugby for Scotland. She also looks up to tennis player Serena Williams.
Awards
- Sarah Beaney Cup Winners 2018/2019
